China Unveils Crew Lunar Lander, Targets 2027 For Demo Mission

The Next Great Space Race is well underway, China has unveiled the design for their first lunar lander and the goal of sending astronauts to the moon by the close of the decade.

At an exhibition commemorating China's 30-year human spaceflight program, a model of the Chinese lunar lander was revealed on February 24 at the National Museum of China in Beijing. The new lunar lander is part of China's plan to take two astronauts to the lunar surface by 2030.

“We have made breakthroughs in key technologies for the new-generation crew carrier rocket, the new-generation crew spacecraft, the lunar lander and the spacesuit for landing on the moon,” - Ji Qiming, Assistant Director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO)

China's New Rocket

China is developing their next-generation crew launch vehicle to launch a more advanced crew spacecraft. A boilerplate test mission took place in 2020.

The new spacecraft will be larger and more capable than China's current Shenzhou crew spacecraft and will be partially reusable. The new launcher, developed by CASC, will come in low Earth orbit and triple-core lunar configurations. The company is aiming to test the LEO version in 2027.

The launcher has been designated as the Long March 10, as revealed at an exhibition where a model of the vehicle was presented.

China's Lunar Lander

The lunar lander model depicts a staged descent concept, which contrasts with the Apollo landings.

During descent, a propulsion stage will be utilized, with the lander portion executing a powered descent and soft landing on the moon's surface. The propulsion stage will be engineered to land separately and firmly, while also managing potential debris hazards.

Additionally, the lander will double as the ascent vehicle to transport the crew back into lunar orbit and dock with a waiting crew spacecraft. The model features various components, including thrusters, a stowed lunar rover, docking mechanisms, a crew hatch, a ladder for astronauts to descend to the surface, antennae, and other equipment.

China's Lunar Mission Plans

China has developed plans for both short term and long term missions on the lunar surface with the goal to eventually have a permanent lunar habitat. China's initial lunar landing missions will be a short-term stays (just a few hours).

“An implementation plan for the lunar landing stage with Chinese characteristics has taken shape. This year, we will fully implement our research and construction tasks for the lunar landing phase as scheduled... At the same time, we will also carry out a series of preliminary studies on the long-term stay of astronauts on the lunar surface, and the development and utilization of lunar resources, so as to lay a technical foundation for future lunar exploration missions of the Chinese people,” - Ji Qiming, Assistant Director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO)

In 2021, China announced a formal plan to construct an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) in the 2030s, which will begin as a robotic station and eventually become suitable for long-term habitation by crew.

The ILRS project involves Russia as a significant partner, although China did not mention Russia during a presentation of its lunar plans at a major international space conference in the past year. This may be due to Russia's current isolation from the international community following its invasion of Ukraine.

China’s crewed lunar landing plan is not currently approved by the Chinese government, but will likely receive it once it becomes part of the scope of their national Five-year plan.